It is often desirable to monitor vulnerable people, such as the elderly or those with Alzheimer's disease by tracking their location. A tracking unit may be attached to or carried by a person to be monitored. A monitoring system may be configured so that an alert is generated if the monitored person leaves a particular place, such as their home or a care home. Also, the tracking unit, and/or subsidiary device, may include components such as an accelerometer, so that, for example, if the monitored person falls, the tracking unit may use such components to detect this and to consequently generate an alert.
In order for the tracking unit to be used to monitor the person, it is of course required that the person carry the tracking unit with them. While it is possible to secure the tracking unit to the person to be tracked, for example around their ankle, it is preferable for the tracking unit to be detachable. The ability to detach facilitates charging of a battery in the tracking unit. Also, securing of the tracking unit to a person to be monitored such that the person cannot remove the tracking unit may not accord with the wishes of that person.
A problem with detachability of the tracking unit is that the monitored person may forget or choose not to bring the tracking unit with them when they leave their home or care home. While the presence of a person within a home may be detected in an attempt to address this problem, the home may have multiple occupants or visitors and the monitored person cannot be differentiated.
It is an object of the present invention to address these problems.